What Should Have Been
by kapers in pink
Summary: Because everyone has a little bit of Team Jacob in them.
1. Paris

I loved him.

I loved Jacob Black.

The revelation hit me like a ton of bricks; like a freight train traveling at 100 mph down a steep hill.

I wonder if Juliet ever realized that she was in love with Paris. If she had, would she have still taken her own life?

I stared at the icy waters below; the wind was stinging my cheeks, the rain drilling into my skin like pins. Did I really need to do this? True, I wasn't trying to kill myself; I was only trying to be reckless and stupid, in an attempt to hear _his_ voice. But did I really need to hear it anymore?

Was there a possibility that I could be whole again, that the hole in my chest could be healed?

Yes. There was.

Jacob could make me whole again; he could protect me.

I knew I had two choices. I could continue to chase after Edward; chase after a dream that I had long since woken up from. Or I could face reality. Face the reality that Jacob was here, and he wanted me. That he loved me, and he wouldn't leave me.

He didn't leave me when he was told that he had to. He didn't leave me when I told him that I would never be whole again. He didn't leave me when I told him I still loved Edward.

As I stared out over the ocean, I realized that my choice had already been made.

And as I turned my back on the waves that were crashing below, I realized that everything had changed.

Paris had become Romeo.


	2. Romeo

**AN: Because I couldn't help myself... this goes with Paris :)**

"Am I too late?" Her words came out in a rush, so quickly that I almost didn't understand her.

"Too late for what honey?" I had no idea what she was talking about. It had been a long day; hunting the red-haired bloodsucker, Harry's heart attack. All of that, combined with my lack of sleep, was making my brain run a little slow.

When I glanced up at her, my jaw almost dropped. She looked hopeful, and nervous, all at the same time. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. While the blush wasn't anything unusual, it was her eyes that caused me to stare. For the first time in months, her eyes were sparkling with emotion. They had returned to the beautiful chocolate brown I had missed; no longer dull and lifeless.

"For us." It was almost a whisper, but I heard it as if she had shouted.

"Bells...?" I was confused. But I couldn't help the smile that was spreading across my face.

"I love you, Jacob Black. I think a part of me knew it all along, but... it took almost jumping off of a cliff for me to realize it. You were Paris. But now you're Romeo." And she was laughing.

It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

But I still had no idea what she was talking about. Paris? Romeo? Did she just say that she loved me?

"You almost did what? Bella, those cliffs are dangerous, especially in this weather! It's almost a hurricane out there." I was angry at her for being up there by herself, for not waiting for me, but glad that she was smart enough to realize it was a stupid idea.

"I tell you that I love you, and you chastise me for almost jumping off a cliff?"

She had a point.

"Bells, honey, I knew all along that you loved me. But what's all this talk about Paris, and Romeo?"

"Romeo and Juliet. You know, Paris is the best friend. Except in the play, she dies for Romeo, leaving Paris all by himself. I can't stand the thought of you being alone, nor can I imagine life without you."

Leave it to her to use a literary reference.

"So I'm not too late?" She looked at her feet, kicking a rock with the tip of her shoe. Her cheeks were still a faint pink, and she was biting her lower lip. Her hair was a mess, from the wind no doubt, and pieces of it were sticking to her damp cheeks.

She was beautiful.

And in that moment, I had to touch her; to kiss her. I took a quick step and pulled her into my chest. Her hands were warm on my already hot skin.

"Of course you're not too late. You know I'd always wait for you. It's always been you, and it'll always be you. I love you."

"Jake..." She looked up at me, her brown eyes glistening with what I hoped were happy tears.

I didn't let her finish.

**AN #2: ducks please don't hurt me :)**


	3. Perfect

"What if I told you I don't want to be Romeo?"

His words caught me off guard.

"What?"

"I mean... Juliet dies for him, right?"

"Well yeah, because he dies first. She fakes her death so she would run away with him, but he never gets the letter. Thinking she's dead, he drinks poison. Juliet wakes up a second too late, and then stabs herself in the heart." I wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"Yeah, I don't want to be Romeo. And for that matter, I don't want you to be Juliet either. No one is going to die in this story." He crossed his arms across his chest, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, since we don't have parents who hate each other and forbid us to be together, I don't really think we'll have that problem."

"Honestly, I wasn't sure if Charlie wanted to hug me or shoot me when we shared the good news." Jake was laughing now too. "For a minute I thought he was going to reach for his gun. I wonder if a bullet would actually hurt..."

"Charlie wouldn't have shot you. Besides, he's been hinting at this for months. And please, don't talk like that." I smacked him on the shoulder, although I know it wouldn't hurt him.

"Admit it, you know it went through his mind." I just shook my head.

"So, if we're not Romeo and Juliet, then who are we?" I leaned back into his arms, snuggling into his warmth.

"How about we just be Bella and Jake. We'll create our own story." His lips brushed against my forehead, and I couldn't help but smile.

"That sounds perfect to me."

**AN: Reviews = Love**


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